Aoki landed reluctantly.
The huge bat wings disappeared, turning into a faint pattern on his back, like a tattoo.
He had something important to do.
"It's about time."
Aoki murmured and vanished.
Infinity Castle.
A wooden board lay quietly in the ruins.
The board was square and plain, with rough edges. It looked ordinary.
But one side had a complex silver diamond pattern, adding a touch of mystery.
The air rippled, and a figure appeared.
"It hasn't been found yet," Aoki said, picking up the board.
He had just put the board away when he felt a "hot" gaze. He turned and met Nakime's eyes.
"Looks like my timing is perfect."
Aoki looked around. Muzan and the other Upper Moons weren't there.
Nakime controlled Infinity Castle.
The space mark would be found if he waited too long.
He had to come at the right time.
He had been a little lucky.
Nakime was about to create eyeballs to search for the traitor. She paused, seeing the unexpected guest in Infinity Castle. She realized who it was and felt fear.
It was the traitor!
The traitor had returned to Infinity Castle!
He could leave and enter freely?
She didn't have time to think about how he had done it. She needed to summon Master Muzan and the other Upper Moons.
The traitor could take down an Upper Moon Three while being attacked by Muzan and the Upper Moons. She couldn't beat him.
Boom!
The traitor, who had been dozens of meters away, appeared in front of her. A terrifying fist grew quickly, filling her vision. The exploding air became a strong wind, ruffling her hair.
Veins bulged on Nakime's forehead.
This was bad!
The traitor was stronger than she thought.
His abilities were effective against her.
She couldn't survive against the traitor without Upper Moon One's protection.
Clang clang!
Two quick biwa sounds rang out. Nakime's head exploded.
Muzan walked slowly down the empty street, looking dark.
Just as he had predicted.
There were no surprises.
Akaza was dead.
Not counting Nakime, half the Upper Moons had died in less than a year.
The Upper Moons hadn't lost anyone for a hundred years. Three had died this year!
It was all the traitor's fault!
The traitor would be even stronger after devouring Akaza.
Kokushibo might not be able to beat him.
But he was sure he could crush that annoying rat.
The problem was, how could he stop the traitor from running?
He had ordered Nakime to keep searching for the traitor, but he knew he had to solve this problem to kill the traitor.
Infinity Castle couldn't trap the traitor. What could he do?
Muzan grew more frustrated.
The traitor had gone from a minor annoyance to a major threat.
He hadn't thought his actions would cause so much trouble.
If he could go back, he wouldn't have turned the traitor into a demon. He would have killed him.
Buzz!
A power surrounded him. Space shifted.
Muzan frowned, seeing the ruined city and debris.
Infinity Castle?
Why had Nakime brought him back?
Kokushibo, Gyokko, and Hantengu appeared, looking confused.
Bang!
A loud sound drew their attention. They turned and saw Aoki blow Nakime's head off.
"He dares come back?"
Muzan looked furious.
Aoki felt their gaze, but he didn't stop. He punched and kicked, each attack carrying the power of Level 2 Devour Demon.
Nakime had used a lot of energy in the previous fight.
Aoki had recovered his stamina and grown stronger.
Nakime's body was riddled with holes. She was near death, her mind fading.
"You dare!"
Muzan's arms turned into barbed whips. He rushed at Aoki.
Whoosh!
The whips swept past, cracking the walls.
Aoki held Nakime's broken body, jumped back, and looked at Muzan and the remaining Upper Moons.
"You're too late!"
Muzan growled, "Put Nakime down, or..."
"Or what?"
Aoki interrupted him, his expression turning cold. "Muzan, wait. Next time we meet, you'll die!"
He and Nakime vanished.
"Ah!"
Muzan released a flood of barbed whips and tendril whips, destroying everything. A powerful shockwave exploded.
He had never been so angry in his thousand years of life.
That man had scared him. The Demon Slayer Corps annoyed him. Other humans were food, ants. He didn't care about them.
But he felt rage towards the traitor, a desire to tear him apart and devour him alive.
Rumble!
Infinity Castle shook violently. Buildings collapsed.
Muzan calmed down.
Infinity Castle was collapsing.
Kokushibo, Gyokko, and Hantengu looked different.
In a wasteland, the ground exploded. Three demons walked out, followed by Muzan.
They couldn't teleport out directly without Nakime.
They had been buried in Infinity Castle after it collapsed.
But they were demons.
They wouldn't die easily.
"Master?" Kokushibo looked at Muzan.
"Akaza and Nakime are dead. I might as well kill you myself, rather than let the traitor get you!"
Muzan looked at them coldly.
The three demons were silent.
They had failed to capture the traitor. The traitor had killed two of them. They were embarrassed.
"Your next mission is to keep searching for the blue spider lily!"
Muzan turned and left.
Nakime's death had buried the last chance of catching the traitor.
He didn't expect to kill the traitor with the current demons.
But if he got the blue spider lily and became the ultimate being, it didn't matter if he couldn't kill the traitor.
He needed to find the blue spider lily and overcome sunlight. He also needed to find demons who could counter the traitor's abilities.
---
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